Not all Doom and Gloom

Not all Doom and Gloom: The Changing World of Corporate Travel and Expatriate Assignments

According to the International Travel and Health Insurance Journal (ITIJ) there has been a huge shift across the Insurance Industry and Business Travel in response to COVID-19. 

What we find encouraging is the positive sentiment that is being created by the changes that are beginning to permeate the travel industry, strongly supported by Government and World organisations reported in the ITIJ…

“The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has published the eighth edition of its Travel Restrictions Report. Seventy per cent of global destinations have now eased Covid-19 travel restrictions. As of 1 November 2020, a total of 152 destinations have eased restrictions on international tourism, reports UNWTO in its Travel Restrictions Report published in early December…[Australia is] one of the four destinations that continue to keep their borders completely closed to international tourists.”

While in the UK business travellers can take advantage of the Corridor List of countries that allow them to enter the UK with a quarantine exemption. For those that need to self-isolate, they can take advantage of the “Test to Release Scheme”, enabling early release from self-isolation on receiving a negative COVID-19 test.

For Expatriates, Kuwait is addressing their economic reliance on this cohort, which make up approximately 70% of Kuwait’s population, by introducing a policy that will ensure they are not forced to pay fees for the new Covid-19 vaccine.

Private organisations are also doing their bit to support the recovery of the travel industry while ensuring the health and safety of travellers with Forbes Travel Guide and digital health company Sharecare teaming up to launch a new health security verification for hotels and resorts. 

So far, Forbes Travel Guide and Sharecare have verified hotels and resorts across 16 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the US, Costa Rica, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, the UK and Greece, with a target of 50,000 hotels to be Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED® by 2022. 

Customers will be able to use Sharecare’s software-as-a-service solution, to see details of a property’s real-time health security status across health and hygiene protocols, cleaning products and procedures, ventilation, physical distancing, the guest experience, and health safety communication with guests and employees.

Many predict that proof of COVID-19 tests and vaccination will be a big lever in the return to open borders. According to expat.com, The Commons Project, a non-profit organization, based in Switzerland, recently developed a new app with the collaboration of the World Economic Forum. The App will allow Travellers to upload their COVID-19 test and vaccine results. This will mean destination countries will be able to adopt this app for better control over traveller health and safety and maintaining that of their existing population.

Today, we are encouraged to see industry, business and governments adapting with surprising agility given the devastation. 2020 was a year of survival, but here’s hoping that 2021 will prove to be the year where we find even more new ways of working that bring us back towards the global economy we are used to operating within.

For more information on Expatriate and Travel products, contact your dedicated AHI underwriter.

Click here to read AHI’s COVID position statements. For up-to-date factual information, refer to the following two websites:

1. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - www.smartraveller.gov.au 
2. World Health Organisation - www.who.int   

For non-Australian residents, AHI recommends referring to your Government website and the relevant Government websites for your destination. 

NOTE: All information is correct at time of publishing but is subject to change.